Does anyone else get crazy mood swings when taking antihistamines?

[JiminyCricket]

I am recommended to take them daily for uriticaria and related allergy symptoms but every time I try I find myself shouting and practically throwing things around the kitchen, or crying my eyes out for no good reason or feeling a kind of empty, ennui-like feeling. [Piriton does occasionally make me feel unreasonably happy, to be fair, but only along with the other mood swings]. I have given all the over the counter ones a decent trial, and my GP says there are two prescription only ones I can try, so currently taking one of those (but not taking it because of the above). Is it just me?

Bump . . .

Which ones are you on? I have found issues with Cetirizine Hydrochloride (sp?) Once I got myself utterly convinced I was pregnant as I was so exhausted, hormonal etc.

I now take loratadine which still works, but without the tiredness.

Currently I am prescribed Fexofenadine Hydrochloride - Loratadine I get the tiredness plus loss of taste and appetite, cirtirazine hydrochloride the crazy mood swings - a lot like you describe.

Hmm, how interesting. I've been on either Cetirizine or Loratadine (just pick up whatever in Asda as cheaper than prescription) for my perennial allergic rhinitis for years.

Tend to stick to Loratadine as it's non-drowsy, but can't say I have experience mood swings on either.

Will check with dh when he's home later though

thanks ... I think maybe they are just not for me. I was just wondering if it was a stage that some people go through and then get used to them iyswim? But I don't think staying on them will be much good for my marriage.

Yes! Although it was many years ago now but it was so bad I no longer take any anti histamine. Sent me into a rapid downward spiral of black depression and much weirdness. It reversed when I stopped taking them but it was terrifying.

Can only take loratadine. Anything else makes me crackers.

Not as bad as when I needed IV steroids....... Now that was interesting!!!!!!!

This makes me worried. Dd1 (9) takes an antihistamine every day as she gets urticaria - no idea why. It started suddenly just over a year ago. I wonder if it is linked to a change in temperature - she gets it if out in the cold or heat. so, I started giving her a dose of cetirizine hydrochloride every day - it works.

Gp (locum when we went) was totally disinterested and said keep giving her antihistamine if it works. I asked if there were any problems with taking it every day and he said no. I take an antihistamine but usually between March and July and it has no effects on me, but was concerned about my daughter taking it daily. She has been quite hysterical - gets angry easily - for a while. It could just be her age, but perhaps I should try changing to a different antihistamine.

Me too! Precisely the reason I stopped taking them. I remember feeling on edge like something bad was going to happen. Could never take more than a couple of days - bizarre ..

Wow, so its not just me - thank you for your replies and it sounds like its not just a temporary side effect.

Embouchure - if you are worried, maybe ask a better GP whether it is worth having a trial of a different kind? or a trial of coming off them, but it might be a matter of weighing up her symptoms and the side effects. I know my 10 year old and her friends have quite a lot of mood swings too! There doesn't seem to be much help for uriticaria apart from antihistamine.

Hi, with respect to antihistamines, I share all the issues you reference. I can’t tolerate any of them, get mood swings, but worse, get so high I can’t sleep or sit still. I have seen an NHS consultant who deals in drug reactions. He explained that these medications act as alcohol does on the brain, with varying paradoxical effects dependent on the person taking them. He also said the paradoxical side effects could be caused by the excipients rather than the active ingredient. I’m currently waiting to try the pure medication devoid of preservative or colouring. Keeping my fingers crossed, because I really cannot cope with the mood swings and sleeplessness. Further, they can be addictive medication. Fingers crossed for all of us with adverse reactions!

I had been taking ceterizine daily for 15 year for constant sniffing and itching. I have always suffered with low level depression long before taking anti histamines so haven’t noticed that as a side effect. In the last 5 years however I always felt as if I needed a pee but never seemed to have much to pee out. After I read urinary probs could be a side effect I started to wait till the sniffs, swelling and itching started before taking them, so managed on every other day and saw some improvement. In the last year I have been doing yoga and realised a few months ago that I wasn’t taking the pills any more. Has any one else found this or is it just a happy coincidence? I am still very allergic to animal hair and will still take one if visiting a house with animals but I try to avoid it as much as possible.

Wondering, if you can’t take antihistamines for this reason, how are you treating allergy symptoms?

No, the ones that make you sleepy make me really really sleepy but sort out my allergy. The ones that don't make me sleepy do nothing whatsoever. Neither affect my mood.

I haven't but I met someone once who said that they made her feel very low.

My daughter is on certirizine with no noticeable effects.

I have only ever had uritarcaria once and it was a reaction to heat through glass, I also think my body lotion that day hadn't helped. Would antihistamine cream help it instead?

Wondering, if you can’t take antihistamines for this reason, how are you treating allergy symptoms?